Beer and Cheese Soup

There used to be this tiny restaurant that was open in my town that made the best cheese soup ever!  You really couldn’t even call it a restaurant.  It was called Scottie’s Deli and there was a counter you could stand and eat at, and maybe one table. Otherwise, people just came in and ordered and left.  They had a bunch of soups on the menu, but when I would call to ask what the soup was for the day, if they said “Wisconsin Cheese Soup” I was there!  This version is a lot better for you, because it doesn’t have a ton of butter, and probably about half the cheese of the original, but it will still satisfy my craving for cheese soup!
Beer and Cheese Soup

• 1 cup minced carrots
• 1 cup minced celery
• 1 cup finely chopped white onions
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 TB. flour
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• A dash of Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 12 ounces of beer (I used Miller Lite)

1.  Saute the vegetables in the oil.
2.  When the onions are translucent, pour in the chicken broth.
3.  Simmer about 20 minutes.
4.  Toss the flour and dry mustard with the cheese, drop into the broth.
5.  Stir constantly, simmering until mixture thickens slightly.
6.  Add the beer and continue to stir.
7.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 6 (1 cup) servings.
Each serving:
257 calories
15.5 grams of fat
1.2 grams of fiber
I’ve never made it with fat free cheese, or even reduced fat cheese because I wanted it to taste very rich and satisfying.  If you want, you could add smoked sausage, ham cubes, or turkey kielbasa to make it more of a meal.  I’ve never made this in the crock-pot either, although it might work! 
This recipe was adapted from a recipe I found at www.recipezaar.com